论明清乡约属性与职能的变迁

The Change of the Nature and Function of Village Moral Policing Organization in the Ming-Qing Period

明清两代政府都致力于中央集权体制的建设,并力图把社会基层的管理也纳入到整个政治管理体系中。乡约本是宋代士大夫倡导的加强基层社会道德建设的民间组织形式,到明代朱元璋所创设的老人制度敝坏之后,乡约又获重新提倡。清朝政府继续推行乡约,并赋予乡约更多的权力和义务。在乡约的发展过程中,民间性是一贯的,但与官府的关系呈现出日益密切的倾向。乡约的职能主要是思想道德的教化,但不同时期、不同地区乃至不同乡约的具体职能有所差异,职能的变化可以映现基层社会的运行状况。

The governments of the Ming and Qing Dynasties made great efforts in building a centralized empire, and tried to bring local social administrations into a uniform, centralized system. Village Moral Policing Organization (VMPO) was originally a form of nongovernmental organization, which was proposed by scholarofficials in the Song Dynasty. VMPO was advocated again after the venerable elder system set up under Zhu Yuanzhang's rule had broken down in the Ming Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, the government continued with this policy and gave VMPO more rights and duties. During its development, VMPO maintained their feature as being nongovernmental, but its relationship with the government became closer and closer. The major function of VMPO was to educate villagers with ethics. However, the specific function varied in different periods, various regions, and even different VMPOs. The change of VMPO's function reflected the progress of the society at the basic level.